


Cozy Nights

by caffeinatedmendes



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22118410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffeinatedmendes/pseuds/caffeinatedmendes
Summary: A little one-shot where Peter Parker tries to get into reading to share a hobby with his girlfriend, MJ. (I used some referencing to Fahrenheit 451 and quoted Green Eggs and Ham, but I do not own the rights to these books! Just know that the plot they discuss is from the wonderful mind of Ray Bradbury and the book they read to Morgan is from Dr. Seuss!)
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker and Michelle Jones, Peter and MJ - Relationship, Peter x MJ
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	Cozy Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I love how MJ is always reading a book in the background of scenes she's not directly in, especially in Homecoming. I thought it would be cute to write a one-shot where Peter reads her favorite books and has conversations about them with her. This kind of was unexpected, but it turned into Morgan, MJ, and Peter fluff, but I tried to tie it back in with reading Green Eggs and Ham to Morgan :) I just loved the Morgan part too much I couldn't let it go! I had to pull out my fifteen year old copy of Green Eggs and Ham, so I hope you enjoy, cause it took some digging to write the end. Comments and kudos are always appreciated!

The creak of the door and shuffle of shoes on the doormat of MJ’s apartment alerted her that her boyfriend, Peter Parker, had made it home from his classes. Curled up on her sofa under a blanket, MJ didn’t move. The book in her hands had taken almost all her focus and right now, and she didn’t care that the boy she’d been waiting for to come over all day was here. “MJ?” Peter’s voice sounded from the kitchen.

“I’m in the living room,” she’d said, reading on. MJ moved her eyes from the page as Peter took her blanketed torso and sat beneath it, laying her head on his lap. MJ turned the page to her book, feeling his fingers running through her hair, massaging her scalp. Peter wore jeans and hoodie and his hair had curled more than normal on this day. MJ guessed it was more humid outside than usual, but she didn’t know for sure, she’d been inside all day. 

“‘Missed you today.” Peter’s voice was light, a soft, tender sound. “What are you reading?”

“Mmh, some book I found on sale,” MJ replied, taking her eyes from the page at last to look at Peter’s brown ones, “It’s about Spain. Did you know that instead of the tooth fairy there’s a tooth rat? I’m pretty sure they have the same job, though. How was class today?”

“Okay. I got to leave a little early though. I had lunch with Pepper and Morgan.” MJ put her book on the coffee table in front of her and settled herself back into Peter’s lap as he resumed playing with her hair. “Morgan wants to come over sometime. I told her whenever she wants, we’ll pick her up from school and spend the afternoon with her.”  
MJ smiled, “I love that kid. She’s so funny and doesn’t take shit from anyone.”

“Kinda like you.” Peter laughed as MJ hit him, but she was completely in agreeance of the statement.

“Off topic, but you’re the best person to ask,” Peter watched as MJ raised her eyebrows, “I have to write a book analysis for my English class, and I don’t know what to read. Can I borrow a book from you?” MJ stood up from the couch, and giddily got up to her bookshelf lining the wall adjacent of the TV.

MJ began taking multiple books off the shelf, “I’ll make a little pile of my favorites that you can pick from. You don’t have much time, being Spider-Man and all, so I’ll have to limit it to under three hundred pages or over three hundred, but with a big font and pictures.” Peter felt a little juvenile after that comment, but continued watching her. Placing a great stack of nearly ten books down on the coffee table, Peter sat up in his seat. Some looked old, some new, but all were in pristine condition. MJ never cracked the spines of her books, wrote in them, or even dog-earred the pages. 

“Uh, okay,” Peter chuckled. “Wait. I’ve got a great idea. I always feel bad for never being able to talk to you about books, because I only read Star Wars. So what if I read all of these?” Peter seemed very excited by this, which only made MJ even more excited.

“Peter. I’ve been dating you for four and a half years and never, not even once, have I seen you read more than one book.” MJ smirked, putting a hand on her hip. She looked very judgy, with her hair tucked behind her ears and straightened stance.

Peter crossed his arms and scoffed from the couch, “Well, I definitely have read more than one book, other than Star Wars, alright? You know what? I’m gonna read one of these books a week, so you should expect that in…” Peter quickly counted the stacks, “Eight weeks, I will be finished with all of these, and be able to have a versatile conversation about each of these with you.” Peter took the stack of books and laid them out on the coffee table. There were several different genres for each of the books, all containing some dark undertone: Frankenstein, Fahrenheit 451, The Help, The Book Thief, The Hate U Give, Animal Farm, Little Women, and The Hitchhiker. “Which should I start with?”

MJ walked back over to Peter and took a seat next to him on the couch. Handing him a smaller book, he read the front cover. Fahrenheit 451. Peter had remembered having to read the same book his freshman year, but couldn’t be bothered to pay attention in class when the teacher read it. Reading his mind, MJ said, “I know you probably had to read this in school, but I know if you did you don’t remember it. It’s really good, actually, Ray Bradbury had this insane mind. He was so creative and he honestly predicts so many things happening in the book that actually came true now. I think if you like it, do your analysis on this.” MJ tapped the cover, and Peter opened it up, reading the first page. 

MJ stacked the books back up, and took her own, settling herself back onto his lap as Peter gnawed on his lip, entranced in the pages. She smiled to herself, glad to show someone the world of literature that she adored. It seemed like something she could get used to, the steady rise and fall of Peter’s chest as he held a book in front of him, reading over her head. The silence was nice, to be laying with him and to feel the warmth next to her as they both enjoyed each other’s presence. 

An hour later, MJ had gotten up to make the two of them tea. Her bare feet touched the cold tile, desperate to get back on the couch and under the blanket. As the kettle was placed on the stove and she searched her cupboards for chamomile and mint tea (Peter only drank mint tea, no other kind) Peter called from the living room, “So is Clarisse into Montag, or are they just friends? And did she really die? Cause that’s just random if she did!”

MJ placed the mugs onto the counter, setting a tea bag inside each. “No, Clarisse is a teenager, and Montag’s like thirty-something. And Clarisse’s death wasn’t random. Think about what Millie said, and Beatty, too. Why was that significant?”

“I dunno- wait! Isn’t that what motivates Montag to question Beatty after Clarisse got him to think about their society and all that stuff in the first place? Because Mildred doesn’t question it, ‘cause she’s obviously brainwashed.” MJ snorted at the last comment, and made her way back to the living room.

“You’re catching on, Parker, remember that for your analysis.” Leaning over him, she lifted his chin with her fingertips, pecking them before sitting back down. 

Peter placed his book on his lap, holding his page. “That’s all I get? Just one kiss?” He made a pout as MJ settled herself back onto the couch.

“Read ten more pages and you’ll get another.”

\- - -

Every week passed with Peter visiting MJ like normal, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. College at this point had caught up to the both of them and that was all the time they could really squeeze in between classes, jobs, Spider-Man, and other social activities with other friends or family. 

But every time Peter came over he came with whichever book he was reading, and he had kept up with his promise. He was on his sixth book, with only The Book Thief and The Help left unread. This brought great pleasure to MJ, as whenever Peter came over, they’d read for sometimes over an hour before Peter wanted to cuddle and watch their TV show together. Spider-Man had not been neglected, but people had taken pictures of him sitting around the city, whether that be on the train or a park bench surrounded by pigeons reading. Peter still surveyed the area for hooligans and thieves.

MJ had felt great pride to hear that Peter had gotten a 93% on his English analysis, and the professor had even written a note on the side of the page that said that Peter had ‘stripped back each layer of this story’ and even ‘revealed themes that are often not mentioned.’ That same day was Peter, MJ, and Morgan’s monthly hang-out day/sleepover, so after the great news was revealed, the two of them got on the subway to make their way upstate.

The Stark’s house was unlike all of Tony and Pepper’s past residences, because this one felt like a home. It was lived in, by all the pictures on the walls and scratches on the furniture and even Morgan’s drawings on the refrigerator. When Peter stepped in it, though, it gave him a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. In every room, he saw Tony. In the living room, he’d be on the couch, drinking whiskey. In the kitchen, kissing Pepper. In the basement, working on hologram-blueprints. In the hallway, carrying Morgan to bed. He took a deep breath, remembering that MJ’s hand was in his and everything would be okay. He’d see Tony again one day.

Little thunks on the wooden staircase came sounding into the living room as Pepper called Morgan from the living room. “Thanks for bringing her back here after school to get her toys. She wouldn’t leave without ‘em.” Pepper smiled to the two of them, and MJ told her it was no problem. A big flurry of pink and blue came running into Peter’s arms and MJ watched as he propped Morgan on his hip, cheeky smiles coming from the both of them. “I was waiting all day to see you, Peter!” Morgan poked her pinky finger into his cheek.

“Me too, Morgan! Where do you wanna go with MJ and me today?” MJ watched the two of them. Peter seemed like he was free, everything looming on his mind was gone once he had the three of them together. She knew that Peter was like a big brother to Morgan, and she loved seeing how they interact, and how much they taught one another. Morgan reached from MJ’s hand, taking her fingers and twisting them into hers from Peter’s grasp.

She grinned, “The bookstore.” Pepper had returned from the kitchen with some packed up snacks for the way back to Queens.

“Ah, yes, she’s been really into reading lately,” Pepper grinned, eyeing MJ.

“So has Peter. He’s read six books in the past two months.” MJ smirked at Peter, who frowned at the comment.

Pepper scoffed,“You’re kidding.”

\- - -

The three of them had a tiring day of playing in the living room with fake Avengers props and having multiple rounds of hide and go seek among MJ’s apartment. Peter had put on his Spider-Man mask, MJ had Thor’s hammer, and Morgan had brought her own Iron Man mask, which made MJ’s heart hurt in a way nothing else could. 

As the sky darkened and the moon shone through the windows, they had ended up in MJ’s bed, with Morgan in between her and Peter. “Can we read my story now?” She asked. Peter was propped up against the headboard, Morgan’s head on his chest and legs on MJ’s lap. 

“Sure.” MJ replied, and reached over to her nightstand, grabbing the small picture book and turning on her lamp, making the room just a bit brighter. “‘That Sam-I-am! That Sam-I-am! I do not like that Sam-I-am!” The earned a little giggle from Morgan, leaning over a bit closer to MJ to look at the pictures. Later on, “‘Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?’

“‘Say! I like green eggs and ham!’” MJ continued on with her little voice that sounded a bit like Mickey Mouse and a chipmunk combined, “‘I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you! Sam-I-am!” When this got no response, MJ turned her head to see that the two of them had fallen asleep, nestled under the covers. Closing the book and putting it back on her nightstand, she turned off the lamp, and moved to put her arm of the two of them. In what felt like seconds, she fell asleep.


End file.
